City approves Youth Leaders of America use of buildings in exchange for community service

Representatives of Youth Leaders of America, a regional homeschool volunteer group, asked Fountain Green City Council for reciprocal access to city facilities in exchange for carrying out community service projects. The group said it has roughly 60 registered families across the region, typically stages several major community projects each year (cemetery cleanups, landscape work and event cleanup) and could provide a documented hour‑for‑hour exchange that would cover building rental in lieu of fees.

Council members asked about frequency (the group said roughly 3–6 events annually in Fountain Green, often bimonthly or as needed), volunteer age ranges (families, with participants from children aged 6 through adult volunteers; the group can separate younger volunteers from older participants), equipment and liability (the group said it carries community insurance and would provide proof or a certificate of insurance if requested), and project coordination (the group would work with a city point of contact or facilities manager to schedule work and provide hour‑by‑hour accounting to the city). The group offered to sign a memorandum of understanding if the city prefers.

Councilmember Kim moved to accept the arrangement; the motion was seconded and passed with the council recording four yes votes (Carrie, Rod, Kim, Jake). Staff asked the group to leave a primary contact and to work with Michelle in the city office on next steps. Council recorded the action as an agreement to allow facility use in exchange for documented service hours, subject to verification of insurance and a coordinated schedule with city staff.